


Stay Alive

by Dreamystory



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M, Iorek Akesson, Male Apprentice (The Arcana)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:00:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25040518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamystory/pseuds/Dreamystory
Summary: As her husband faces an injury, Nadia finds herself thinking
Relationships: Apprentice & Nadia (The Arcana), Apprentice/Nadia (The Arcana)
Kudos: 17





	Stay Alive

Nadia barely remembered what had happened the previous hours, but she clearly remembered the terror she had felt when a tired but worried Valerius had run to the library to tell her what had happened. She didn't hear most of the speech, she only managed to connect "your husband", "arrow" and "chest" and that was enough to send her in a complete panical state. The countess had risen and had dropped the book she was reading on the ground, had lifted her skirt and had made a run through the corridors of the palace towards the infirmary, her heels were the only thing that echoed through the corridors . "Keep my daughters away from the infirmary." She ordered Valerius, giving him the thankless task of looking after the future Countess Iduna, seven years old in February, and her little sister Naya, four years old in September. Although it seemed like an ungrateful journal duty Nadia knew that Valerius had become fond of her daughters and that he would not disdain to keep them away from such pain as seeing their wounded father. Especially in an age where children tend to be impressionable ... and he knew there would be a lot of blood, so sparing them childhood trauma would be ideal to keep them from growing up with complexes. And the two little ones were in an iron barrel with Valerius, who had redeemed himself in the year in which Iorek and Nadia had married and regained Nadia's trust. The Countess opened the doors of the hospital wing without bothering to close them again and immediately slinging on the helpless figure of Iorek, lying on a bed too small for him. But it wasn't important, what shocked her was the murder weapon still inside his body; an arrow with a golden plume whose tip was infiltrated into the depths of his chest stood diagonally from the left side of it,and seemed dangerously close to the heart. She looked at the wound where the blood formed every second that passed inexorably, marking and ticking the seconds to count how much strength the Count Consort was losing; his face was in ashen pallor, his glorious ivory blond hair fell to locks on all sides and his forehead, his face, neck and chest were beaded with sweat...Nadia forcibly held back the tears that threatened to scratch her dark and sculpted cheeks, her hand sought that of her husband ... It was a miracle that he was still so conscious that he could control his powers. "Nad-Nadia ..." he gasped, opened his eyes and they were to say it all inundated with confusion, relief and pain. The squeeze on her hand increased slightly, and Nadia was pervaded with relief "I'm here, my love. I'm here."  
"What kind of situation ... huh?" he tried to play down, but a twinge of accelerated breaths interrupted him ... Nadia interpreted them as a giggle, from which a wave of pain seemed to spring which forced him to clench his teeth "shhh, ssshh ... squeeze my hand. as long as you want. " seeing him feel so much pain was devastating. If with one hand he clutched Nadia's to seek some relief from the terrifying pain he was experiencing, the other clutched the iron bar of the bed and it froze after a moment. The Count was breathing hard, the pain seemed to affect any function that allowed him to communicate with his wife and this frightened her ... The nurse next to her was preparing a misture that Nadia could not identify "what is it?"  
the little woman was much calmer than she "don't worry, milady" she said "this is to get the arrow out faster ... Your Excellency, this will hurt a little." and put the green mash around the wound caused by the arrow. Then his stubby hands grabbed the edge of the weapon "one, two ... three!" and began to pull herself as gently as possible. Nadia could not look at the weapon, concentrated on Iorek's face; he was writhing in pain, a vein throbbing on his forehead but no sound came out of the Count's mouth, with his cold hand he squeezed Nadia's, crushing her strong brown hand. Nadia felt pain, but she knew that the pain he was feeling was on another level, so she said nothing. It was only a few minutes later that Iorek couldn't take it anymore, in a strained voice he said "Enough! Enough, God! It hurts!" he was not angry with anyone, he was only feeling so much pain. The little woman stopped pulling, seeing his face shining with drops of sweat. The tip was not out, but most of the arrow was out and Nadia could clearly see the blood on it as she felt her husband's grip suddenly loosen and his hand held by his elbow staggered. It was only by will of Nadia that their hands remained united "you were brave ... you were very good .." The Count gasped to let some air in and from the expression on his face Nadia prayed to every entity that he was not losing consciousness, even though he knew it was so and that asking him to stay awake was unthinkable. Taking note of the situation, the infirmary wrapped cloths around the wound and part of the arrow "so the arrow will come out better, now he must rest"

••

And so the night fell on a still intact Vesuvia, not even touched by the potential destructibility that the powers of the consort could bring. Speaking of him, he had fallen asleep shortly after the nurse said he should rest because the next day they would try again to pull the arrow out. And now Nadia was gently stroking his forehead, brushing Iduna's exact same blond hair from his forehead, finally letting silent tears flow down her dark cheeks; life without Iorek was something impossible for her and at ten years of marriage, nine since they had had those two pieces of magic that were their two daughters, Nadia could no longer imagine what would have happened if that blonde earthquake had never entered her life ... and where would she be now without him. She couldn't lose him, her invincible champion, the father of her daughters, the best Count that Vesuvia had ever had ... seeing him die before her eyes would have been terrifying. As if trying to reject that thought, she shook his weaker hand more and brought it to her lips "stay with me. Hold on."

It was the first light of dawn when Iorek finally opened his eyes: confusion and a veil of tiredness wandered in them, like a hermit left aimlessly. His injured chest rose and fell with great effort, but certainly with more pain control. "... hello," he murmured weakly. Nadia kissed his hand, and was happy when he didn't try to move away "how do you feel?"  
Iorek groaned softly when he tried to move "..." he didn't reply, just to not show the amount of pain that invaded him "let's try to remove the arrow?" at that point the chief nurse asked. Iorek nodded sharply and immediately Nadia took his hand, squeezing it firmly ... it seemed all the force she had not been able to apply during the birth of her daughters, when she wanted to squeeze that hand to find comfort from the pain. "Nadia, you're breaking my hand ..." he murmured gently. But she loosened her grip only slightly, she wanted to feel him there with her. Then the moment of truth; as on the previous day, the nurse took the arrow and started pulling towards herself. Again Nadia saw her husband's body stense, his back arch and his hand pressed to hers. This time it was the blankets he was grabbing his other hand to freeze at the first pang of pain and seeing how Nadia's hand was intact, she felt moved: even when he felt so much pain that he could not breathe he was careful not to hurt her. The second attempt was the good one, but also the painful one. So much that once the arrow was pulled out the Count collapsed on the pillows, breathing so hard and with so many sweat drops on his forehead and neck that Nadia truly believed that his lungs would give way.

"Here ... here ... it's all over, Excellency." Iorek did not reply, he frowned and closed his eyes breathing in puffs from his mouth fairly quickly. Before the blood could get out, the nurse pressed some cloths on the wound and then swaddled it after putting blood moss on it ... all they could do was wait for an improvement.

•••

Nadia's worst fear came: the fever took hold of him in the most terrible form. Fatigue fever? exhaustion fever? fever caused by too much pain or an infection? The terrible options were too many and all ended in the same way: with a grave for him. The countess shook all those thoughts away from her head and started to caress his hot forehead and then remained to look at the silver ring that was on the ring finger and how proudly she wore it. In ten years he had never taken it off, not even for sleeping, swimming, even when he had held Iduna and Naya in his arms for the first time. "the worst is over." she said to herself, looking at her husband's apparently sleeping face. That usual forelock that fell from his forehead to the bridge of the Greek nose was now resting on the other disturbed locks ... but in their defense the hair had been the least of their problems. "... Nadia." his hoarse voice had come to her loud and clear "Nadia ..."  
"I'm here my love"  
"the girls ..."  
her stomach tightened to think that their daughters had not seen either of them, she only prayed that Valerius had explained to them why in the best possible way "the girls are with Valerius. They are fine."

He had remained tense, but as soon as she told him that his daughters were fine, the Count visibly relaxed. "Please don't ask me how I'm doing. It makes me feel ... crippled." The sensitivity to certain things he had always amazed her. He could understand his intention before she even knew it. Nadia took his hand and put it on her face, closing her eyes "... Iorek ..." was all she managed to murmur while the tears threatened to come down again "my only love ... don't leave me. Don't leave us. ... " his rough thumb gently caressed her cheek, her half-closed eyes lit up with tears "you are beautiful." he said with a smile "you are breathtaking."  
"it's not true"  
"it is." he insisted, but the smile on his pale face went out immediately when he closed his eyes, concentrating on the pain to try to drive it away completely. He was still burning with fever, and Nadia could feel the warmth clearly. Nadia stopped on her face; his facial structure had struck her from the first moment, in addition to her unusual body composition (wide chest and narrow waist), a pronounced and sharpened jaw, high cheekbones, a Greek nose and two deep set eyes ... even that pallor was inhuman for his white complexion. This highlighted two dark circles that evidently had always been and some freckles on his clear face crossed by a scar "I would have liked to see them one last time." he said softly ... was he convinced he was going to die? Nadia felt her heart break into a thousand pieces at those words "we love you so much." was all she managed to murmur while holding his hand tightly against hers and waiting for the moment when his heart would stop exhausted from all that effort. The moment when she would see the face of her beloved go out and his mighty wounded chest remain motionless, when his hand would let go of hers and where her whole world would break on her.  
•••  
Iorek Akesson did not die that night, nor the one after that,rather ; nothing else but slowly recovered from that abrupt wound. And on the third day Iduna and Naya were finally able to see him; they were holding hands with Portia who kept recommending them to be kind to their convalescent father. But the joy that opened on the toothless face of the two girls was indescribable; Iduna ran straight to the bed and Naya, albeit wobbly and with her arms extended forward, followed her exclaiming "PAPA!" and that little voice was enough to warm his heart and make it melt. Iduna climbed on the bed and Naya, with the help of her mother, followed her "take it easy, be nice and don't hurt him" but none of the three was listening to her, because between the laughter both their daughters had crouched on the chest of Iorek and the Count held them both with one hand on the back of each "oh my brightest stars!" he said with infinite tenderness in his voice. He caressed first the brown head of Naya and then the blond head of Iduna, leaving a kiss on both "I missed you like the air!" They both looked so small when Iorek's hand was on them, and it was an absolutely sweet difference in size. Their first daughter sat on Iorek's chest and asked "are you okay?" Iorek caressed her head gently, still holding Naya with the other hand "Daddy is fine, my love." and then he exchanged an Eskimo kiss with Naya, who chuckled when her father's Greek nose touched her small button nose with infinite tenderness. She hid her little face in the hollow of her dad's neck "papa! No Tickle!" She exclaimed trying to escape it. 

Nadia watched the scene smiling happily to her family. And at that moment it struck her: how much her life could only improve


End file.
